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Officer, suspect killed in standoff near Limon

LIMON — Gunfire erupted as police tried to serve a warrant on a man in an eastern Colorado trailer park, leaving a 27-year-old police officer dead and setting up an hours-long standoff that ended with the gunman killing himself, authorities said today.

The shootings occurred Wednesday night at a mobile home in Limon, about 90 miles southeast of Denver, State Trooper Heather Cobler told the Associated Press.

Officer Jay Sheridan, a six-year veteran of the Limon police department, was fatally wounded as officers attempted to serve the suspect with a fugitive warrant, Cobler said.

Sometime during a standoff that followed, the suspect shot himself to death.

Cobler declined to release his name or details of the warrant. She said more information would be available today.

Up to 20 nearby residents had been evacuated during the standoff.

Two other officers, who were not identified, became pinned down when the shooting first erupted and remained in a separate room in the mobile home throughout the standoff. Neither was injured.

During the standoff, SWAT officers attempted to talk the man into surrendering without success, she said.

After about four hours, officers entered the residence and found the suspect’s body.

Jim Hartwig, manager of the Wagon Wheel Mobile Home Park, told The Denver Post that the neighborhood was evacuated about 6:15 p.m.

Hartwig said he had heard at least three shots fired.

Josh Wiedemann said he had just moved into the park Wednesday. He said he heard “a pop and a whiz,” and when he went outside, a law officer with a shotgun told him to get out.